Who doth not hear when it thunders? but how few are there who attend or understand the Thunder, or hear Thunder attentively? ⟨p. 444⟩God speaks to us, not only with a sti•• voice, few hearing or attending him, but though he thunders few attend him; yea, those woks of providence which speak louder than Thunder, and shine clearer ••an the Lightning, yet are neither heard no• seen. As When his hand is lifted up some will not see (Isa. 26.11.) So when his Voice is li•ted up, when 'tis lifted up, not only like a trumpet, but like thunder, when he speaks most audibly, yea most terribly, some will not hear; and he is not heard by many, much less diligently attended to, how loudly, how terribly soever he speaketh. The Lord often thunders by the voice of this Word; what are his terrible threats but loud thunder-claps? yet few hear, or though they hear, yet they attend not. Not to hear the voice of God in his Word, is as if you did not attend to the voice of Thunder. Every word of God, though spoken with a still voice, hath a greater force in it than Thunder from the Clouds. As the terrible works of God are signified by Thunder (Rev. 10.3, 4.) So the terrible words of God, his threatening words against impenitent sinners, are resembled to Thunder. And therefore such as the Lord fitted among his own Apostles for that dispensation, are called in Scripture Sons of Thunder (Mark 3.17.) And they who dispense the Word with a strong voice and fiery zeal, are truly so called to this day, and may be said both to Thunder in their Exhortation, and to Lighten in their Conversation. And indeed the Word of God truly and faithfully dispensed by any is like Thunder. For,
Who doth not hear when it thunders? but how few are there who attend or understand the Thunder, or hear Thunder attentively? ⟨p. 444⟩God speaks to us, not only with a sti•• voice, few hearing or attending him, but though he thunders few attend him; yea, those wo ks of providence which speak lowder than Thunder, and shine cle•rer ••an the Lightning, yet are neither heard no• seen. As When his hand is lifted up some will not see (Isa. 26.11.) So when his Voice is li•ted up, when 'tis lifted up, not only like a trumpet, but like thunder, when he speaks most audibly, yea most terribly, some will not hear; and he is not heard by many, much less diligen•ly attended to, how loudly, how terribly soever he speaketh. The Lord often thunders by the voice of this Word; what are his te•rible threats but loud thunder-claps? yet few hear, or though they hear, yet they attend not. Not to hear the voice of God in his Word, is as if you did not attend to the voice of Thunder. Every word of God, though spoken with a still voice, hath a greater force in it than Thunder from the Clouds. As the terrible works of God are signified by Thunder (Rev. 10.3, 4.) So the terrible words of God, his threatning words against impenitent sinners, are resembled to Thunder. And therefore such as the Lord fitted among his own Apostles for that dispensation, are called in Scripture Sons of Thunder (Mark 3.17.) And they who dispence the Word with a strong voice and fiery zeal, are truly so called to this day, and may be said both to Thunder in their Exhortation, and to Lighten in their Conversation. And indeed the Word of God truly and faithfully dispensed by any is like Thunder. For,
